By Annette Cinelli

Sevengaits, a project space for artists that opened in Southbridge this past summer, consists of seven studios that are gated into one another as well as into a gallery space. This contemporary art environment works as an artist cooperative and as such has a very open and collaborative feel to it. The “gaits” in Sevengaits is in tribute to the horses that were slaughtered in the building’s historical use as a dog food cannery.

Demetri A. Kasperson and Monika Agnello run the studio and gallery. Both are Rhode Island School of Design graduates (that’s actually where they first met) and each has a studio at Sevengaits. The other artists working in the studios include painters, printmakers, a glass blower and a jeweler. There are also two studios set aside, one for their residency program and one for a project artist. With the former, Demetri and Monika hope to attract artists from all over the world. The artists will stay for varied amounts of time, anything from a weekend to a year. According to Demetri, the program will “…benefit the community as well as the artists. It will give people a chance to appreciate contemporary art.”

Demetri first became interested in art in high school; sophomore year he had an amazing art teacher. She encouraged him to pursue art and he ended up studying illustration and painting at RISD. He now works primary in oil paints but is always experimenting and letting the painting evolve on its own. He has always been “…fascinated with psychedelic imagery as well as music,” and that imagery has significantly influenced his art; he will often “…juxtapose colors and images against each other to create optical effects.” Often times when he’s finished, his paintings will only work well from certain angles. Demetri’s inspiration comes from places he visited as a child including England, Sweden, and Greece. He advises aspiring artists to learn the physical and scientific side of the artwork, and never to lose their identity.

Monika grew up on Long Island and works in painting as well as printmaking and drawing. At first she did a lot of abstract work with found objects and wood and metal. When she moved to New York, she scaled things down because of her small apartment. The city inspired her and she painted abstract cityscapes. She then went out west for a while where she became interested in the rodeo and drawing horses, bull riders, cowboys, and realistic expressionistic characters.

She now lives in Southbridge and is pursing printmaking at UMass Amherst. Her style today combines the emotion and imagery of the rodeo but in a more abstract way. Monika also has what she calls “beauty blocks” she describes them as “a painted image of women’s head and upper bodies…you can place on a shelf, move them around, or put them together.” She encourages up and coming artists to keep drawing and creating art. She also advises “don’t isolate yourself! You’re not alone in this”and urges artists to surround themselves with people they feel are strong in the field they are interested in. Much like artists can do at the studios at Sevengaits.

Antonio Fonseca is another artist who has a studio at Sevengaits. He is originally from Puerto Rico and now resides in Southbridge. Antonio works in a variety of mediums; he feels “one medium puts limits on the work” and will incorporate a couple of mediums (printmaking and painting for example) into one piece. His work has been shown all over the world.

He feels that the new trend in art is in collaborative spaces, like Sevengaits, that offer different perspectives in creating art, which you usually don’t see outside of a college classroom. Much of Antonio’s art deals with the political, social, and cultural aspects of Puerto Rico. The place may be specific but the themes are universal, the subject matter can hit you as you see the connection to you and your country. Antonio gets his inspiration from the world around him; lately a lot of inspiration has come from humanity itself. His primary goal as an artist is to get his work out there, he wants his work to be seen everywhere. Antonio ended up at Sevengaits when he met Demetri and Monika at a lithography show at the Southbridge library. They were interested in making him a part of the group and he jumped at the opportunity. Antonio believes bringing the arts into Southbridge is “a great opportunity for the town to grow.”

Sevengaits’ mission is to connect artist, their projects, and the community. Demetri describes Sevengaits as a place where “…people from the area can come in, see contemporary art, and get a chance to talk to the artist.” They’ve been doing opening and closing receptions of shows in the gallery where the artist is present and accessible to the people. Their latest exhibit, “Stacks, Escape, Construction” (featuring the works of Timothy Pearson, Johana Skalsky, and Jesse M. Kahn) was a success, and they’re looking forward to future exhibits.

Keep an eye on www.sevengaits.com for information about upcoming openings and lecture and film series.

In honor of the fashion issue, I asked Demetri and Monika what their favorite fashion trend is. Demetri “…loves the Valentino Jackets!” Monika say,s “I don’t know if it’s a trend, but my interest is Vivian Westwood, she’s an amazing icon of fashion. Her and her handmade shoes.”

Pic 1: Outside Sevengaits, pic 2: one of the studios, pic 3: Oler-las-Flores, painting by Antonio Fonseca Vazquez